Behind the Bastards Behind the Bastards

Part One: Radovan Karadžić: The Genocidal Dictator Who Became a New-Age Guru

Sep 22, 2026 · 1h 13m

Summary

Hosts Jamie Loftus and Sophie Lundberg discuss Radovan Karadžić, the Bosnian Serb leader responsible for the Srebrenica genocide, who later lived as a new-age energy healer. The episode explores the complex ethnic and religious history of the Balkans, detailing the brutalities of World War II and the rise of the Ustashi and Chetnik factions. They also examine Karadžić’s family lineage, including his father’s violent past, and the cultural context of Serbian folklore and oral traditions.

Topics discussed

9/11 reflections and the 'Big Trouble' film delay Novel announcements and the 'John Locke' shirt trend Introduction to Radovan Karadžić and the Balkans Sponsor segment: YouTube Premium Geopolitics of the Balkans and Ottoman conflict Montenegrin warrior culture and epic poetry The Karađorđević family and Vuk Karadžić's legacy Serbia in WWI and the formation of Yugoslavia WWII in Yugoslavia and the delay of Operation Barbarossa The Ustaše, Chetniks, and ethnic violence in WWII Methods of execution and the brutality of the war German diplomatic complaints and Chetnik collaboration Josip Broz Tito and the Partisan victory Post-war Yugoslavia and simmering ethnic tensions Vuk Karadžić's accidental killing of his cousin Radovan's childhood, family dynamics, and education Radovan in Sarajevo: student activism and early nationalism Sponsor segment: Roland Martin Unfiltered Radovan at Columbia University and his poetry Career as a psychiatrist and Red Star team psychologist Fraud conviction, prison, and the collapse of Yugoslavia Rise of nationalism and the end of the episode Sponsor segments: Lingo Kids and BetterHelp
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